Johannesburg - Former Bosasa chief operations officer Angelo Agrizzi has told the commission of inquiry into state capture that National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) officials were bribed to quash charges against the company's employees.

Agrizzi is the first witness to testify before the commission headed by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo that NPA officials were bribed to impede the prosecution of Bosasa employees implicated in a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) probe.

An investigation by the commission has also discovered that Agrizzi's evidence will also implicate Bosasa employees, government officials and politicians in criminal and corrupt activities amounting to billions of rands.

Agrizzi's evidence implicates 38 individuals including some that fingers himself in unlawful conduct.

He likened Bosasa, which is now called African Global Operations, to a cult.

Agrizzi told Zondo that he has been receiving threatening and strange phone calls which have been reported to the Hawks.

The commission has had to provide him with security after the threats were found to be credible, according to the head of his legal team Paul Pretorius.

Pretorius said the individuals implicated by Agrizzi were only informed on Wednesday morning due to the threats.

Agrizzi has been warned that his safety is in danger and that his former boss Gavin Watson could make people disappear.

He believes his life is in danger and that the people he implicates in his evidence will harm him.